MOTHER JONES DAILY: ICE’s Theater of War, From Minnesota to Georgia, Trump’s plans to interfere in the midterms are becoming more dangerous, Who takes Palantir's money? A new tracker finds out., Trump is still posting about arresting Obama and prosecuting election workers, Alex Pretti was a hero. To these workers, he was a colleague, too., Roaming the streets of Minneapolis, looking for ICE 29JAN26

 

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January 29, 2026 What do mirrors reflect back to ICE agents who dress up for war? When they outfit themselves in dramatic camo and hats for jungle warfare in...Minneapolis?  In a new piece out today, I write about the inherent theatrics in ICE's tunnel vision of violence and the psychological effects of dressing up for the war they want. This pretext of war, of course, has always been bogus. Yet federal agents treat it with the dogma of settled fact. But how exactly?  I get into all the military-style gear, as well as Greg Bovino's hulking Nazi-esque coat, to ultimately trace how these optics of a foreign invasion have helped fuel the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign.  But one thing I want to really drive home is that, as terrifying and lethal as ICE agents can be, these are also the same dudes who return to their hotel rooms and behave like the heinous losers they are. (You can see what I mean in the clip embedded here.) And no amount of camo or military-style gear can hide that.  —Inae Oh

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ICE’s Theater of War Camo and hats for jungle combat do not make sense in American cities. But they are key to dressing for the war ICE has imagined. BY INAE OH

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From Minnesota to Georgia, Trump’s plans to interfere in the midterms are becoming more dangerous BY ARI BERMAN Who takes Palantir's money? A new tracker finds out. BY ALEX NGUYEN Trump is still posting about arresting Obama and prosecuting election workers BY KATIE HERCHENROEDER Alex Pretti was a hero. To these workers, he was a colleague, too. BY ANNA ROGERS

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Roaming the streets of Minneapolis, looking for ICE A photographer documents the intense week leading up to Alex Pretti's murder. BY MADISON SWART

MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE THIS NEWSLETTER'S FREE, BUT THE JOURNALISM COSTS A LOT Hard-hitting investigative reporting is expensive. That's why corporate news outlets are slashing it from their budgets. But Mother Jones is a nonprofit—we dig because it's our mission, and because readers step up to help pay the bills.   That means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. And there's only one way for that to happen: readers like you stepping up with support.   Every dollar you chip in helps us produce the journalism that's needed at this crucial moment. Donate Now

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MOMENT OF SILENCE IN HONOR OF ALEX PRETTI AT THE MINNEAPOLIS VA MEDICAL CENTER 25JAN26

 Photos taken at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, where Alex Pretti used to work, show medical staff holding a moment of silence on Monday in honor of their late colleague.

VIDEO: "Minnesota" - Marsh Family adaptation of "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)" 27JAN26

 

"Minnesota" - Marsh Family adaptation of "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)"

Jan 27, 2026 FAVERSHAM

We hope the good people of San Francisco won’t mind us adapting this iconic track (about their city in the sixties, in the midst of protests and the counterculture movement) to treat the tragedies in recent days and weeks in Minneapolis. The original song was written by John Phillips (of "The Mamas & the Papas") and first released (sung by Scott McKenzie) in 1967, reaching number one in the UK, Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand charts, though only fourth in the US. We chose it because of its link to protest, its soaring refrains, its simplicity, its earnestness, and its celebration of love and solidarity. In our arrangement we haven’t double tracked the vocals but have added harmonies and mandolin/violin lines. We hope it serves its aim, which is to express solidarity with the courageous and valiant protesters in Minnesota (and beyond), and to memorialise Renée Good and Alex Pretti, and sing their names across the ocean: two innocent American citizens executed on the streets in appalling scenes that so obviously echo waypoints in the historical march of fascism. Taking on the guns, masks, fear, and falsehoods requires more than flowers and songs. But they are powerful nonetheless, especially if they remind folk of previous generations that navigated trauma, and that you are not alone, and others are being inspired your courage and actions in the face of the winter of our times.

LYRICS If you’re going to Minnesota Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair Grief is flowing in Minnesota You’re gonna see tormented people there For ICE brought guns to Minnesota Claimed two lives: a man and woman there In the streets of Minnesota Gentle people just murdered without care All across the nation Should be condemnation Ocean to ocean There is no “explanation”. This is Nazification. Citizens broken. Out in the open. For those whose guns tore Minnesota Are sure to bear their power everywhere If you don’t stand with Minnesota Comes a time, will be beyond repair [Modulation] So all the world’s in Minnesota Their debt we share, on shoulders wide to bear Love and honour Minnesota Where Renée Good and Alex Pretti cared If you’re going to Minnesota Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

Jeffries' threat to Trump: Fire Kristi Noem or we move to impeachment 27JAN26

 

NO doubt NOT MY pres drumpf / trump will keep fascist fotze trunt kkkristi noem as Sec of Homeland Security not because she is doing a good job but because she is a fellow neo-nazi fascist pig. Keeping her in the office makes drumpf / trump complicit in the crimes being committed on the residents of Minnesota AND America. US House Minority Leader Jeffries, you better not be blowing smoke up our asses or the Democratic Party will pay in the 2026 Midterms. From Axios .....

Jeffries' threat to Trump: Fire Kristi Noem or we move to impeachment

• Andrew Solender

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and his leadership deputies on Tuesday issued a warning to President Trump to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, or Democrats "will commence impeachment proceedings."

Why it matters: The House Democratic leader's new threat comes as support for impeaching Noem is surging among his members, with more than two-thirds of his caucus now co-sponsoring articles of impeachment.

• Jeffries has spent the weeks since the killing of Renée Good deflecting questions about impeachment, telling Axios as recently as last week that "we haven't ruled anything in and we haven't ruled anything out."
• But the killing of Alex Pretti on Saturday supercharged the effort, prompting even some prominent centrist, swing-district and leadership members to sign on.

What they're saying: "Taxpayer dollars are being weaponized by the Trump administration to kill American citizens," Jeffries said in a joint statement with Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.).

• They continued: "The violence unleashed on the American people by the Department of Homeland Security must end forthwith. Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives."
• "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

State of play: House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said in a statement that he will "launch a complete oversight and impeachment inquiry into all potential constitutional crimes committed by Secretary Noem" if Republicans don't.

• The Maryland Democrat said he plans to work in coordination with Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the top Democrats on the Oversight and Homeland Security committees.
• Raskin said the articles of impeachment introduced by Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) have "galvanized" House Democrats, but that "we must build on this resolution, through fact-finding, public hearings, and committee reports."
• Kelly, a member of Jeffries' leadership team, can unilaterally force a House vote on impeaching Noem but has remained conspicuously silent on if or when she might do that.

The other side: Trump said Tuesday that he is not going to oust Noem, telling reporters during a gaggle outside the White House, "I think she's doing a very good job."

• "If Democrats cared this much about deporting violent, criminal illegal aliens, the American people would be much safer," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said.
• A DHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The bottom line: Republicans control the House and Senate, and no GOP lawmakers thus far have signaled support for impeaching Noem.

• Even if some House Republicans cross over to vote for Noem's impeachment, it would still face a steep uphill climb in the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is needed for conviction.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.

MOTHER JONES DAILY: DOJ’s “Ransom” Letter to Minnesota Reveals How Trump Plans to Rig the Midterms, Nurses union calls ICE agents a “public health threat” after Alex Pretti killing, What’s the deal with that scary-looking green gas ICE is using in Minneapolis?, He spent decades bringing the religious right to power. Now he’s marching to undo it., In Helene’s wake, rural North Carolina turns to solar and battery hubs, Inside the largest effort ever to save the Great Barrier Reef 26JAN26

 

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January 26, 2026 Much like the rest of the country, I am wrestling with the killing of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old ICU nurse who was shot by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.  My colleague Sam Van Pykeren visited the area where Pretti was pinned down and shot multiple times. The site has since been overwhelmed by grief-stricken residents, who continue to bravely decry the occupation, through tear gas and harassment by federal agents. Here’s a small glimpse of what they had to tell Sam: “If Minnesota falls, everything falls. We’re done as a nation.” “This is f*cking crazy, I don’t recognize our country.” “We’re furious that our neighbors are getting kidnapped and murdered in the streets.” It must be noted that their anguish unfolded as the Trump administration went into overdrive to push lies about Pretti’s killing. Those lies continue, even as some Republicans emerge, ever meekly, to denounce this awfulness. (They still make sure to lavish praise on President Donald Trump and try to blame all this on Democrats.) I want to make sure you also catch Ari Berman and Abby Vesoulis on the Justice Department’s letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, stating that if he wanted to “bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota,” he should comply with some “common sense solutions.” The letter is effectively a ransom note, a demand for the state’s unredacted voter roll ahead of the midterm elections. As my colleagues write: State election officials and election security experts say [Attorney General Pam] Bondi’s letter is an outrageous attempt by the Trump administration to coerce Minnesota into providing confidential voter data that could be weaponized by the president and his allies to amplify false claims of voter fraud, wrongly remove eligible voters from the rolls, and challenge election outcomes.  Shameless and outright appalling, no? —Inae Oh

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DOJ’s “Ransom” Letter to Minnesota Reveals How Trump Plans to Rig the Midterms After a Border Patrol agent killed Alex Pretti, Attorney General Pam Bondi tells Minnesota to hand over its voter roll to “bring an end to the chaos.” BY ABBY VESOULIS AND ARI BERMAN

MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE THIS NEWSLETTER'S FREE, BUT THE JOURNALISM COSTS A LOT Hard-hitting investigative reporting is expensive. That's why corporate news outlets are slashing it from their budgets. But Mother Jones is a nonprofit—we dig because it's our mission, and because readers step up to help pay the bills.   That means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. And there's only one way for that to happen: readers like you stepping up with support.   Every dollar you chip in helps us produce the journalism that's needed at this crucial moment. Donate Now

Nurses union calls ICE agents a “public health threat” after Alex Pretti killing BY KATIE HERCHENROEDER What’s the deal with that scary-looking green gas ICE is using in Minneapolis? BY SAMANTHA MICHAELS He spent decades bringing the religious right to power. Now he’s marching to undo it. BY SAM VAN PYKEREN In Helene’s wake, rural North Carolina turns to solar and battery hubs BY ELIZABETH OUZTS

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Inside the largest effort ever to save the Great Barrier Reef Australia is doing absolutely everything to protect its most iconic ecosystem—perhaps except the thing that matters most. BY BENJI JONES

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